Zune, Microsoft's Failed Music Service, Was Retired… And No One Seemed To Notice

• Ever used Zune? Ever even heard about Zune?
• Well, it’s not really important if you haven’t, since it’s no longer available.
• Microsoft Corporation MSFT decided that, as of Sunday, Zune, its failed music service, would be retired from the market.

Users will no longer be able to either stream or download content to their devices using the Zune music service, a support thread explained. However, the company added, Zune devices (yes, there were also Zune devices) will still work as regular MP3 music players – and almost no content in them will be lost.

To replace the Zune Music Pass and the Xbox Music Pass, Microsoft launched the Groove Music Pass, and all previous subscriptions were converted. Going forward, the Groove Music Pass subscription will cost $9.99 per month or $99.90 per year.

A Look Back At Zune

On top of being a streaming service, Zune was also a piece of hardware, a portable player launched in 2006 to compete with Apple Inc. AAPL’s highly successful iPod. However, its life was quite short. After failing to overthrow the MP3 player whose name became a synonym of portable music, the Zune player was discontinued in 2011.

Am I Eligible For A Refund?

“If the migration to Groove terminates your Zune subscription before the end of your annual or 3-month Zune subscription, you may be eligible for a refund. Details about refunds will be emailed to you soon,” Microsoft explained, adding that monthly subscribers will not be eligible for a refund.

Disclosure: Javier Hasse holds no positions in any of the securities mentioned above.